Skid for aerial navigating devices.



i D. D. WELLS.

SKID FOR AERIAL NAVIGATING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED 1'33. 3, 1909.

Patented Sept.28,1909.

- g wenl'ot g 80816 (Runway:

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4

DANIEL D. WELLS, OF JACKSONVILLE, I FLORIDA;

SKID FOR AERIAL NAVIGATING DEvICES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL J). WELLS, citizen of the United States, residing at J acksonville, in the county of Duval and Stateof Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skids for Aerial Navigatin Devices, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to aerial navigation and refers particularly to a skid to be employed with machines of this nature.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character with means whereby the same may be started in flight from surfaces which are rocky or otherwise broken, without the employment of a track construction for the same.

The invention has for another object the provision of a skid which is adaptable to roughened surfaces and which may be conveniently applied to flying machines, aeru planes or the like, and one of such a structure that the same po'ssesses durability and light weight so as to produce a device which is of great practical advantage in the art.

A further design of this invention is the special formation of a skid in which the sliding surfaces of the same are protectedfrom engagement with gritty substances or the like which wouldimpair the efliciency of the same. v

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following descrlption and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved skid. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fi 3 is a detailed end view of one of the pul eys having the belt applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail in side elevation of one extremity of the skid.

Corres onding and like parts are referred to in the ollowin description and indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a runner which is provided with a flattened surface and rounded corners and which is formed of a hard material which is highly olished to produce a surface which causes s ight friction when brou ht in slid- I he runner ing connection with a belt 11. 10 is curved upwardly at its op oslte extremities for the pur ose of ren ering the same capable of passmg over obstacles" encountered on roughened surfaces without guides 16 eac .which is secured along the upper face of the jarring the device supported thereon. The opposite extremities of the runner 10 are provided with forked brackets 12 which support rollers 13 in their upper forked extremities over which is passed the belt 11. The forked brackets 12 are adjustably secured upon the upper face of the runner 10 by means of set screws 14:which are inserted runner 10 adjacent the outer longitudinal edge thereof and which is curved downwardly and inwardly to engage the adjacent bead 15 to hold the edge of the belt 11' against the side of the runner IO. Thelbelt 11 is provided upon its inner face with a suitable lubricant to reduce the frictional engagement between the same and the olished surface of the runner 10. The be t 11 extends over the runner 10 and the pulleys 13. The runner'10 is provided with upwardly rojecting standards 17 which are dispose in pairs throughout the length of the runner 10 and which are diverged therefrom to. admit of the free passage of the belt 11 therebetween. The standards 17 are adapted to be secured to an aero-plane or the like for the purpose of supporting the same.

In operation the skid is positioned u on 9,5

the ground when the outer face of the elt 11 engages with the ground and the runner 10 is su ported upon the upper lubricated face of t Y e belt 11. When the skid is forced longitudinally the runner 10 is caused to slide over the belt 11 and to cause the movement of the belt beneath the runner l0 and over the pulleys 13. The guides 16 en age the beads 15 throughout the length 0 the runner 10 and hold the belt 11 in concaved position to engage about the polished surface of the runner 10. 'As the'belt 11 reaches the end of the runner 10 at the rear extremity of the skid the same is released from the guide 16 and permitted to engage over the flattened surface of the adjacent pulley 13.

\ It is flow seen that with a skid of this construction light bodies like flying machines Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1909. Application filed February 3,1909. 1 Serial No. 475,786.

i and aero-planes can be carried over the ground steadily as the runner presents a plurality of contact points with the surface of the ground andcauses the belt 11 to engage only the projected surfaces thereof and to. thereby cause a steady and uniform traveling of the device.

The guides 16 and the heads form a sealed oint upon the opposite sides of the runner 10 and therebyhold the belt 11 in such position that sand, dirt or any gritty substances can not gain access to the polished sliding surfaces of the runner 11.

Haying thus-described the invention what is claimed as new is *1. A skid of the class described comprising a runner a belt engaged against the under face of said runner, ides longitudinally disposed u on the si es of said runner, beads forme upon the outer face of said belt adjacent the edges thereof for engag'ement with said guides, pulleysadjustablyg disposed at the opposite extremities ofsaid belt and said runner for supporting from sa1drunstandards upwardly extende ner. 1-

2. device of the'class described compris-' ing aiiunner having a lower curved polished surface," guides longitudinally disposed u on the opposite sides of said runner, for ed brackets adjustably secured to the opposite extremitiesof said runner, a belt engaged over said pulleys for slidable contact withthe polished surface of said runner and beads mounted upon the outer face of said belt ad acent the opposite edges thereof for engagement in said guides to retain said same, forked brackets'adjustably isposed at the opposite extremities vof said runner upon the u per face thereof, pulleys mounted in said rackets, abelt en aged over said pulleys, said belt extende downwardly rom said pulleys beneath said runner, beads formed upon the outer face of said belt adjacent the edges thereof and guides positioned on said runner for engagement with said beads to hold said belt in sliding engagement with the lower face of said runner, to inclose the same from dirt or other gritty substances.

4. In a skid of the class described, the combination of a runner, pulleys disposed at the opposite extremities of said runner, a

belt engaged over said pulleys and passed beneath'said runner, guldes disposed upon the opposite sides of said runner and beads carried upon the outer face of said beltadsaid guides.

5. In a skid as specified, the combination of a runner, standards disposed in pairs and upwardly diverged upon the said runner, forked brackets adjustably carried upon the upper face of said runner at the opposite extremities thereof, pulleys loosely mounted in said forked brackets, a belt positioned over said pulle sand extended beneath said runner, beads ormed upon the outer face of said belt adjacent the opposite edges thereof and guides carried by said runner at the opposite upper edges of thefsame for en-' gagement with said beads to retain said belt in concaved formation throughout the length of said runner.

In testimon whereof I afiixmy signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

- -DAN-IEL 1). WELLS.- [a 8.]

Witnesses: I

A. E. SNYDER, CHAS. G. WILSON.

'jacentthe edges thereof for engagement in 

